After postponing the 2020 Coachella festival from April to October, organizers are now calling the whole thing off. According to Billboard, parent company AEG has officially cancelled this year's festival and laid off about 15 percent of its staff. The plan is to resume Coachella in either April or October of 2021. This year's lineup included headliners Travis Scott, Frank Ocean, and Rage Against The Machine, who were set to reunite for the first time since 2011. Lollapalooza in Chicago announced it was scrapping it's 2020 show completely just a day prior.
And now this...
Independent concert venues across the country are in serious trouble because of the pandemic. As some businesses begin to open, concert halls and clubs remain empty for performances. According to a new survey by the National Independent Venue Association, 90 percent of owners think they might shut down forever if venues can't reopen in the next few months. The survey was to alert the government that venues "have zero revenue, high overhead and no clear timeline for reopening." These businesses need relief packages above and beyond what has already been presented. A movement called #SaveOurStages has the support of over 600 artists including Lady Gaga, Neil Young, and Billy Joel.